The Geelong Advertiser Coaches Player of the Year is an award voted by each A-Grade netball coach on a 3,2,1 basis after each home and away game, acknowledging outstanding effort by an individual player in a season.

There are individual awards for the Bellarine FNL A-Grade & Geelong FNL A-Grade Netball competitions. 

The votes have been tallied from Round 3 onwards as the award was established following Round 3. 

*Votes from Round 6 onwards will be completed upon all club coaches submitting votes. 

Patrick Dowling has moved back to the top of Coaches Votes after polling 8 votes in round 10 against Queenscliff.

Dowling's teammate Riley Ferguson sits two votes behind in second, with Drysdale big man Luke Preece 10 votes back in third.

The votes from rounds 9 and 10 with the Round 10 leaderboard can be found below.

Round 9

Drysdale v Modewarre

7 Scott Morter (Modewarre)

7 Ben Fennell (Drysdale)

5 Tom Hornsey (Modewarre)

4 Josh Finch (Modewarre)

3 Jack Jenkins (Drysdale)

2 Morgan Fenton (Modewarre)

1 Mitch McGuire (Drysdale)

1 Oscar Cooke (Modewarre)

Newcomb v Geelong Amateur

9 Blake Sutterby (Geelong Amateur)

5 Josh Saltalamacchia (Newcomb)

5 Max Hungerford (Geelong AMateur)

3 Jarrod Stafford (Newcomb)

3 Jordan Toll (Geelong Amateur)

2 Patrick Dowling (Geelong Amateur)

2 Jake Heard (Geelong Amateur)

1 Tom Gribble (Geelong Amateur)

Ocean Grove v Anglesea

9 Kye Annand (Ocean Grove)

9 Noah McGregor-Dawson (Anglesea)

3 Lachlan Smith (Anglesea)

3 Jack Rice (Anglesea)

2 Jacob Talarico (Ocean Grove)

2 Will Batson (Anglesea)

1 Lewis Beers (Anglesea)

1 Cameron Fowler (Ocean Grove)

Queenscliff v Portarlington

8 Kelly Pickard (Portarlington)

5 Che Durran (Queenscliff)

5 Lachie Kidd (Queenscliff)

4 Nat Stephens (Queenscliff)

3 James Goetz (Portarlington)

2 Stephen Heppell (Portarlington)

2 Che Durran (Queenscliff)

1 Will Baker (Queenscliff)

Torquay v Barwon Heads

10 Weylin Doyle (Torquay)

5 Clay Page (Torquay)

4 Luke Davis (Barwon Heads)

4 Ryley Stuhldreier (Barwon Heads)

4 Will Tamassy (Torquay)

2 Kyle Polley (Barwon Heads)

1 Billy Henderson (Torquay)

Round 10

Barwon Heads v Drysdale

8 Ryley Stuhldreier (Barwon Heads)

8 Tom Ruggles (Drysdale)

5 Matthew Beckwith (Barwon Heads)

4 James Breust (Drysdale)

2 Cooper Ward (Barwon Heads)

2 Jack Henderson (Barwon Heads)

1 Matt Piggott (Drysdale)

Geelong Amateur v Queenscliff

8 Patrick Dowling (Geelong Amateur)

6 Will Mithen (Geelong Amateur)

5 Lachie Kidd (Queenscliff)

4 Blake Sutterby (Geelong Amateur)

3 Riley Ferguson (Geelong Amateur)

2 Che Durran (Queenscliff)

1 Samuel Bain (Geelong Amateur)

1 Zac Nelson (Geelong Amateur)

Modewarre v Anglesea

9 Matthew Farrelly (Modewarre)

5 Noah McGregor-Dawson (Anglesea)

6 Tom Hornsey (Modewarre)

3 Will Batson (Anglesea)

3 Jeremy Ollis (Modewarre)

2 Oscar Cooke (Modewarre)

1 Seb Hutley (Modewarre)

1 Jordan Keras (Anglesea)

Portarlington v Ocean Grove

7 Kye Annand (Ocean Grove)

5 Max Ruiter (Portarlington)

4 Jacob Talarico (Ocean Grove)

4 Teia Miles (Portarlington)

3 Max Sutton (Ocean Grove)

3 Jye Walker (Ocean Grove)

2 Daniel Riosa (Portarlington)

2 Kelly Pickard (Portarlington)

1 Grady Slowcombe (Ocean Grove)

Torquay v Newcomb

10 Matthew Boag (Torquay)

5 Jarrod Stafford (Newcomb)

4 Clay Page (Torquay)

3 Charlie Ham (Torquay)

3 Chase Loftus (Torquay)

2 Banjo Dyer (Torquay)

2 Ryan Jackman (Newcomb)

1 Oscar Lewis (Torquay)

 Round 10 Leaderboard

50 Patrick Dowling (Geelong Amateur)

48 Riley Ferguson (Geelong Amateur)

40 Luke Preece (Drysdale)

40 Blake Sutterby (Geelong Amateur)

38 Ryley Stuhldreier (Barwon Heads)

36 Matthew Boag (Torquay)

30 Ben Fennell (Drysdale)

30 Luke Davis (Barwon Heads)

The Geelong Advertiser Coaches Player of the Year is an award voted by each Senior coach on a 5,4,3,2,1 basis after each home and away game, acknowledging outstanding effort by an individual player in a season.

There are individual awards for the Bellarine FNL Seniors, Geelong FNL Seniors, and the Division 1 Senior Female Football competitions.

AFL Barwon wishes to congratulate the following athletes who were identified to trial for the 2025 Talent Academy from the Bellarine FNL, Geelong FNL and Colac & District FNL Representative squads. 

Bellarine Football Netball League

Isla Cuddy (Drysdale)

Coco Hayes (Torquay)

Sienna McGinness (Torquay)

Abhi Sanjeev (Ocean Grove)

Molly Slavinskis (Barwon Heads)

Sophie Taylor (Geelong Amateur)

Geelong Football Netball League

Maya Corrigan (South Barwon)

Isabella Gill (Geelong West)

Leni Hepburn (South Barwon)

Indi Madden (Geelong West)

Lucy Nwankwo (South Barwon)

Lily Sherman (South Barwon)

Colac & District Football Netball League

Emmy Frith (Irrewarra-Beeac)

Ruby Hall (Irrewarra-Beeac)

Isabel Perkins (Colac Imperials)

For more information on the Netball Victoria 2025 Talent Academies, simply go to https://vic.netball.com.au/talent-identification-program

The Annual AFL Barwon's Pride Round takes place this weekend across football and netball clubs at community grounds throughout the Barwon region. The Pride Round in the AFL Barwon region has had a profound impact on the local community. It has provided a platform for LGBTQ+ athletes and supporters to feel seen and valued, reducing stigma and offering a more inclusive environment through the representation of vibrant rainbow colours and a powerful message of inclusivity.

This weekend is dedicated to celebrating and recognising the contributions of the LGBTIQA+ community within our region and at our clubs. The acknowledgement of Pride in the AFL Barwon region started in 2018 with a key working party made up of LGBTQ+ leaders from the Geelong community, with investment and assistance from the Geelong Cats.

The concept of the Pride Cup was first delivered in 2014, inspired by Jason Ball, an openly gay Australian rules footballer. Ball’s experiences of discrimination and the lack of visibility for LGBTQ+ athletes in sports led him to advocate for a dedicated event that would promote inclusivity and respect. The inaugural Pride Cup was held in Yarra Glen, Victoria, where Ball played, marking a pivotal moment in Australian sports history. The AFL Barwon Clubs and community have embraced the initiative, recognizing the importance of promoting diversity within its community.

The initial Pride Cup in the AFL Barwon region was held between the Newtown & Chilwell Football Netball Club and Leopold Football Netball Club. This event marked a significant step towards inclusivity, featuring rainbow-themed apparel, rainbow painted 50m arcs, educational workshops, and speeches from prominent LGBTQ+ advocates. The event received widespread support from the local community, highlighting the region's commitment to equality in sports.

The AFL Barwon clubs have continued to embrace and celebrate Pride Round which has grown over the years. The strongest support has been through our Female Football Clubs who have become key participants in the round. St Mary’s, Grovedale and Drysdale all embraced Pride Round matches very early on, further embedding the values of inclusivity and respect within the regional sports culture.

When Pride Round resumed following the interrupted seasons, it was certainly met with greater support and involvement by the AFL Barwon clubs. The AFL Barwon region saw an increase in participation, with more clubs and community members engaging in the celebration of diversity. The events became larger and more inclusive, greater club pride representation on apparel, and broader media coverage, reinforcing the Pride Cup’s importance within the regional sports calendar.

The 2024 Pride Round will see marquees matches in the Senior Female Competitions involving Grovedale and St Mary’s, Anglesea and Geelong West, Thomson and Geelong Amateurs, Newtown & Chilwell and Drysdale, and, Grovedale and Belmont. There were 5 clubs who were successful in receiving a grant from Pride Cup to cover essential event expenses, such as Pride uniforms, guest speakers, food and beverages, and entertainment. This has provided a further opportunity to increase celebration, awareness and education for these clubs and their members.

AFL Barwon welcomes all clubs to get involved this weekend in celebrating Pride Round and spreading the key messages throughout the community.